By Elizabeth Roberts on
10/29/2009 3:27 PM
It is with great sadness I note the passing of Victoria Sousa, the 12-year-old Rhode Islander who died from swine flu earlier this week. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
It’s clear this flu targets the young. I’m glad the state H1N1 vaccination plan will begin on Monday, November 2; it will do much to keep our children safe and healthy.
As the vaccine...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
10/23/2009 3:31 PM
Both as a state leader invested in public health and as a mother, I am watching carefully the progress of H1N1 and the plans for vaccinating children, pregnant women and others at risk in our state.
H1N1 is such an unusual flu because it most severely affects a much different population than the usual wintertime flu—namely the young and healthy. As we begin widespread vaccination programs with the new vaccine, there is some confusion about which vaccine to get and...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
10/20/2009 3:33 PM
 Aiming to bring a touch of home to our troops, I’ve launched Operation Holiday Cheer 2009, the seventh annual drive to send holiday care packages to Rhode Island service men and women stationed overseas.
The holidays are a time when our thoughts turn to home and family. For troops stationed around the world—and more than 250 Rhode Islanders were deployed...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
10/14/2009 3:39 PM
From the good news department: I’ve recently had the opportunity to laud two small Rhode Island businesses that are growing during challenging economic times.
I spoke at a ribbon-cutting for NetCenergy, a Warwick IT service, support and consulting firm, that marked a move from a 1,200 square foot building to its new 3,200square foot headquarters—not bad for a company that began out of a home in 2003 with only three employees....
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
10/6/2009 3:40 PM
I attended IBM’s Smarter Cities conference in New York City last week and served on a panel, moderated by Tom Brokaw, that tackled how state government can help cities run more effectively.
Although we heard a lot about what’s not working in state and local budgets, we also talked about the possibilities that a downturn presents. We tend to assume that when times are bad it’s not the time to make changes; in fact, it may be the best time to reinvent.
An example...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
9/29/2009 1:20 PM
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a reception welcoming Todd Flaherty, the new director of the College Crusade (www.thecollegecrusade.org)—a local nonprofit aimed at curbing dropout rates and promoting college attendance through mentoring and scholarships.
I enjoyed meeting the advisors who work in middle and high schools to help students succeed in school and prepare for college. The mentoring offered as students deal with both the challenges of growing up and of excelling in school is vital. When a student reaches college and succeeds there, a world of opportunities opens up.
...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
9/23/2009 9:36 PM
This week I spoke at a conference at
Women & Infants Hospital on women’s health research, sponsored
by the National Institutes of Health. The ultimate goal: to get women
to incorporate valuable health research outcomes into their daily lives.
Women made up the majority of the room
where I spoke. That’s encouraging, because it’s critical to get
more women entering health professions, leading research and taking
on health policy roles that will make a difference...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
9/16/2009 12:00 PM
Prevention, prevention, prevention.
That was the message about H1N1 flu
from Dr. David Gifford, the state’s director of health, at the Emergency
Management Advisory Council meeting I called last week, which brought
together federal, state and local emergency responders.
At this point, the H1N1 threat appears
to be less serious than thought in the spring—it will be widespread
but less intense. That said, the state department of health has met
with schools...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
9/14/2009 12:00 PM
Friday morning I left the house and,
for the first time in several months, went back inside to grab a fleece.
Fall is here. The kids are back in school. The Red Sox are (hopefully)
headed for the playoffs. And tonight Tom Brady steps back on the field
in Foxboro. I love fall.
Summer is great in Rhode Island—the
beach, the ocean breeze, the slower pace as people take time off. But
although I enjoy it, I can’t wait for fall to come. Labor Day is my
New Year’s....
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
9/10/2009 12:00 PM
Last night I was at the Capitol as
the president reached out to Americans—after a month of loud, often
confusing debate at public meetings and in the press—and spoke about
health care reform.
I was honored to attend the speech
as the guest of Congressman Langevin. I watched the members of Congress
and the cabinet gather, the cheering as President Obama entered the
room, the common applause during some parts of the speech and the clear
partisan divide at other...
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